Because Feminism Totally Rules

He Was the Winner, and Oh Yeah, She Won for the Woman

I know it's partially my job as a librarian at a women's nonprofit that does this, but I can't help noticing how the focus in race reports is always, "HE won!" "He came in first." And then there's a "Oh yeah, and for the women, so-and-so came in 1st, or 5th overall, running ___."

Why?

Yes, women rarely win overall. There's a combo of reasons why men are faster than women (less body fat than women; easier ability to lose body fat; more muscles). Occasionally, in ultrarunning, women do win outright, which is awesome. The super awesome Jessi Kennedy outright won the NJ Ultra 100 Miler in March. Yay! Some might dispute this, but based on my personal experiences, women seem to have a higher pain tolerance than men, and thus, can push themselves more. (Feel free to debate this one. It might just be all the men I've known!)

In a recent race on the Willamsburg Bridge, I was the first woman. I was so excited! At the finishing ceremony, the organizer gave a hooded sweatshirt to the male winner - and another to the last place person, and another to a random person. Why not to the first female finisher? I didn't even think of it until a friend complained that he was annoyed that I wasn't recognized.

Yesterday, I was so excited that one of my teammates in NBR won the Brooklyn Marathon. I loved the coverage that often mentioned us, and I cheered him on the entire time. I was really happy for him. It was an amazing honor for him to win a marathon at 24 and the coverage of him was really great!

But then, I started thinking about the woman (whose winning time at 3:14 is just 14 min off my PR...hmmm....) who won. She was mentioned as an afterthought in many of the articles. He got some great press, great quotes. And not much is learned of her.

In this NY Mag article, almost three paragraphs are devoted to the male winner, and a sentences in parentheses is all the female winner gets. Seriously. Why can't both get three paragraphs?

Why? Why does this happen? Why, even in co-ed sports, is the focus still men?

When I run races, yes, I push myself, and I like to see a high overall place, but I know the one that my sponsors and other care about is my gender and age group placing, which, sorry, men aren't included in. So why is so much coverage so male-centric? Why does Ultrarunning Mag way more frequently feature a male on their cover (and thanks to my friend Lesley for raising this point in a letter to the editor to them), and why do their articles focus so much on the top male competition and then gives sparse mention to top women?

When will we have gender equality in sports?

For some stats on Women in Sports, check out this factsheet!

Risk = Sexy

 Rio came back from the water, and said to me and Merja, "You know what we were just talking about? How when girls take risk, it makes them more attractive. No, don't laugh. It's an attractive quality to have - a risk taker. I wish more girls would do stuff like you do, like traveling alone. There's a risk there, and it's awesome that you do it."

I pondered this and we accepted his compliment. But then I voiced something that I've been thinking about. "The thing that sucks about not more women taking risk is that I become lonely out there for other women. Most of the women traveling in Central America are in groups, and they don't seem to want to include others in their groups. It's easier to meet other solo travelers, so I end up meeting more men. I wish I could meet more women."

Too bad at the end of my time in Bocas, I ended up connecting with Natalie (super cool Australian; she's headed south to Panama City, I'm headed north up to Costa Rica tomorrow) and Merja (rad Finnish journalist who offered much insight on life) and Natasha (super sweet girl in my Spanish classes) and Julia (who's unfortunately spent much of her time here ill). I wish I could've had more time to bond with them.

I want there to be others. I don't want to be the only solo female traveler. I want to meet other amazing women, hey, attractive for being the risk-takers that we are. 

It's not that scary. Bad things can happen, but bad things can happen at home, and remember, the soul dying and decaying from not following your dreams is worse. I'm ultra-cautious, a little nervous at times, but hopefully, all will be smoothed and safe for my travels.

I'm not drinking tonight, but for those of you who are, please raise your glass to the bravery, the fierceness, the awesomeness, and yes, the attractiveness of all of the other solo women travelers out there.

Being Pretty Is Not A Crime

I hate when, after a pretty woman complains about being harassed/hit on, people respond, "Well, you should feel flattered." Or, "You won't get it forever - and then you'll miss it."

Being pretty is not a crime. It should not make you a victim. I'm sick of the attitude that because a woman is pretty, she is there for male delight or gawking or being treated a certain way (i.e., as if she is not smart, a sex object, whatever).

Nothing wrong with looking good. I wear heels, eye makeup. But there's more than prettiness.

This post is really what inspired me to write about this, especially this: 

You Don't Have to Be Pretty. You don't owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don't owe it to your mother, you don't owe it to your children, you don't owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked "female". 

UPDATE 10/13/2010: Reading Feministing today, I saw a great post, Why Do Strange Men Touch Me. I have had this happen to me before - ugh. Chloe says,
 
"He wanted to touch me, so I was going to be touched, by a stranger, whether I wanted it or not. What he wanted was more important than what I wanted, because he is a man, and I am a woman. Did he consider that his words and his gesture, perhaps intended to compliment, might mean something totally different to me? If he did, that didn’t stop him. What he wanted was more important than what I wanted, perhaps because we live in a world where what men want is more important than what women want. That is why strange men think they’re allowed to touch me – and any other women they feel like touching. It’s that simple."

i fight like a girl

the following was on the back of our take back the night t-shirts many years ago.

i fight like a girl.
i fight like a girl who refuses to be a victim.
i fight like a girl who's tired of being ignored and humored and raped.
i fight like a girl who's sick of not being taken seriously.
i fight like a girl who's been pushed too far.
i fight like a girl who offers and demands respect.
i fight like a girl who has a lifetime of anger and stregnth and pride up in her girly body.
i fight like a girl who doesn't believe in fear and submission.
i fight like a girl who knows that this body and this mind are mine.
i fight like a girl who knows that you have only as much power as you.
i fight like a girl who will never allow you to take more than i offer.
i fight like a girl who fights back.
so, next time you think you can distract yourself from your insecurities by vicitimizing a girl, think again. she may be me, and i fight like a girl.


--stefanie

Feminism Quote

I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.

--Rebecca West

Gloria Steinem Quote

"If men could menstruate ... clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how much.... Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of such commercial brands as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammed Ali’s Rope-a-Dope Pads, John Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields—”For Those Light Bachelor Days.”"

another reason to hate the superbowl

the commercials. i never get people who watch the superbowl for the commercials. what?!?! you good american consumer, you.

now did a really interesting examination of the images of women in superbowl ads. check it out.

there is no mr. cherie

i am on the mailing list for cabot cheese.

this is the point in the blog in which the vegans turn away, disgusted, and others think, "weird that she's on the mailing list for cabot cheese." i didn't mean to be, but am on it, and every so often, i get invited to cabot cheese events. i got invited to one at the end of the month at the marriott in brooklyn. free cheese, free brooklyn brewery (though i don't like beer; i'll just eat extra cheese), why not? so i'm rsvp'ing, and say, "there will be three of us."

the guy on the phone--who sounds as if he lives somewhere in the middle of the country says something about "your husband, mr. cherie." he uses my last name, but uses it as if it were not my own but some copy i adopted from my "husband" so i could show everyone that i'm property of someone else. wtf is up with women STILL doing that?!?! we are no longer property; we are our own people. and um, hate to break it to ya, but 50% of marriages end in divorce. anyway, i like my last name. i wish it didn't start with the letter Y (this means i'm one of the last people to leave the nyc marathon b/c my baggage truck is always the last) but it's unique and it's part of me.

i tried to nicely tell him, "you shouldn't assume that everyone takes their husband's name to demonstrate that they are property. i am not."

also, he was assuming that i was bringing my husband--what if it was my girlfriend? or my sister? or my best friend? i guess the crowd at cheese events would tend to be families, but have an open mind, people!

i have no cheese right now, so instead, i'll think about how rad my freedom is.

Fabulous feminism

I love Girlistic mag. Read it all here.

what backpack gives you privilege?

For any male who thinks that feminism isn’t necessary, who thinks that women and men are treated equally in our society…See this link: MALE PRIVILEGE!

i want to give every woman and every girl the courage...

...to speak out. i wish i had years ago.

quiz from the guerrilla girls